Submeter Program

The City of Portland Submeter Program is a partnership with the Portland Water District. If you do a lot of outside
watering, you could lower your wastewater bill by purchasing a submeter through the Portland Water District.

This is an optional program where the customer bears all costs associated with the installation and maintenance of the submeter. Under the City's program, a customer can install two types of submeters:

Deductive/Subtractive in which your wastewater bill is reduced by usage that flows through this submeter and doesn't discharge to the sewer. This is normally associated with irrigation of lawns, gardens, cooling towers on buildings and pool filling. By installing this submeter, you will be able to water your lawn and fill your pool without paying a sewer charge for the water used. This is the typical submeter for most residential applications. The meter must be installed on a tributary that does not provide water to any internally plumbed appliances.

Sewer/Reverse Mode which wastewater bill is calculated on usage that flows through this submeter and discharges to the sewer. This is used to measure water that is being discharged to the sanitary sewer system and is normally associated with post process wastewater, cooling tower blowdown or industrial wastewater discharge. By installing, your wastewater bill will be calculated by the volume that discharges through this submeter. This may be used in some commercial/industrial applications. Sewer/Reverse Mode submeters require an annual calibration by a certified technician/plumber with documentation of such submitted to the City.

3. Customer notifies the City the submeter has been installed, is ready for inspection and pays $100 inspection fee;

4. City contacts a plumber to inspect the installed submeter;

5. If approved, City notifies PWD to activate the submeter.

Submeters must be activated to receive credit on
water and sewer bill

*PWD mobile meter reading vehicle must be able to read the submeter from the main road without entering the customer's driveway. Factors such as: terrain surrounding property, distance from property to main road (less than 300 feet optimal), and the distance the submeter is to an outside wall could interfere with transmission of the reading. Disclaimer: PWD does not guarantee a submeter read from main road.

*If PWD is unable to read the submeter, PWD will send a letter to the customer stating the submeter could not be read. No credit will be given until PWD is able to get a read. Customers can contact PWD to attempt to have the mobile meter reading vehicle pick up a submeter reading from their driveway. A successful driveway read indicates the equipment is working properly, but the meter and/or electronic reading device needs to be repositioned to pick up a signal from the main road. There is a PWD Troubleshooting Fee of $19 per visit for this service that will be billed to your account.